Soft Services Manager

www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk - Jobboard; Leeds; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A government public service department is seeking a Facilities Management role focused on overseeing cleaning services and improving performance metrics. The ideal candidate will manage relationships with suppliers and internal stakeholders to enhance service delivery and customer satisfaction. Strong communication and collaborative skills are essential for success in this vital role within DWP Estates.

Qualifications

• Experience in managing Facilities Management services, especially cleaning.
• Strong relationship management skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Support overall delivery of Soft Facilities Management services.
• Work closely with internal and external stakeholders.
• Develop corrective actions to improve performance.

Job description

For jobs located in Wales, the ability to speak Welsh is desirable.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is one of the government’s largest public service departments, serving over 20 million citizens with a sizeable annual budget.

The estate spans 1.4 million square metres across 800+ sites and supports around 78,000 colleagues.

Our vision includes DWP colleagues, supply chain, partners, and most fundamentally, the customers the Department exists to serve. They are the reason for our existence.

We are responsible for the day-to-day operation of our estate by managing a private sector supply chain that delivers essential services such as Security Guarding, Maintenance, Property and Leasehold Management, Construction, Cleaning, and Facilities Management.

DWP Estates is not just about maintaining buildings — it’s about transformation. Our strategic goals include:

• Transitioning to a smaller, more affordable, and adaptable estate to meet future needs
• Investing in infrastructure through planned replacement works
• Embedding sustainability in line with Government Greening Commitments (GGCs)
• Delivering cost-effective services while maintaining high standards
• Creating a professional, best-in-class working culture across the Government Property profession

Our Estates strategy ambitions have been refreshed to take us through to 2030:

• OPTIMISE: Continue to transition to a more affordable and adaptable DWP estate that creates productive environments

• INVEST: Investment in an improved environment that better meets the needs of customers and colleagues and minimises service disruption

• SUPPORT: the drive for sustainability throughout DWP

• DELIVER: Expertly deliver improving, cost-effective services for DWP

• THRIVE: Continue to develop a working culture for DWP Estates that is best in class across government

There is no better time to join the award-winning DWP Estates team.

This role will represent DWP Estates as the intelligent client against agreed performance metrics and will foster a collaborative relationship to drive innovation and identify improvement opportunities.

Key Accountabilities

Performance and Governance

• Reporting into the Head of Soft FM Services, this role will support the overall delivery of Soft Facilities Management Cleaning services and supplies to the estate
• As directed by the Head of Soft FM Services, this role will work in conjunction with internal stakeholders and external parties as listed below
• Supporting the operational management and delivery of Cleaning Services via the TFM Supplier(s)
• Overseeing the development of corrective actions to improve performance, working closely with DWP Category Management (Commercial team) and Service Manager & Supply Chain Management Team on issues that require commercial input or escalation, as well as working closely with DWP Estates’ H&S teams and Operations to obtain operational insights
• Working closely with the Supply Chain Manager of the applicable supplier, undertaking review of Management Information, identifying potential gaps in service, and collaboratively developing corrective actions with Facilities Management
• Working with the DWP Estates’ Performance & Audit team to develop a performance framework to set out performance data and reporting requirements aligned to contractual obligations / KPIs reflecting DWP’s business requirements
• Supporting the review of performance audits against contractual obligations
• Supporting the management and coordination of the Integrator CAFM system and associated supplier systems

Relationship management

• Effectively supporting the supplier/client relationship across the Estates stakeholders, translating Estates’ business requirements into the services needed, and supporting DWP Category Management to oversee the contractual relationship between the relevant Supply Chain Manager and the Supplier Partner
• Working collaboratively to ensure Estates Control Framework and End-to-End processes are effectively embedded and articulated across the Supplier Partner, and monitoring the performance and health of the supply chain relationships
• Ensuring the Supplier Partner delivers outcomes that meet our customers' needs and at the requisite service quality
• Acting as the representative for the SME (Head of Soft FM Services), working with the supplier to ensure quality of Operational Delivery and Service Excellence, leading innovation and continuous improvement to provide the best cleaning services to our customers
• Managing all cleaning-related queries, issue management, audit outputs, performance concerns, innovation, and new ways of working
• Completing service reviews and quality checks to ensure value for money and supplier performance
• Using data-driven analysis to identify trends, mitigate issues, and improve service delivery, reporting through appropriate governance channels
• Working cross-government to identify best practices and foster collaborative working environments

Strategy

• Supporting the development and implementation of DWP Estates’ Supply Chain performance management framework and category strategy in collaboration with the wider DWP Estates Supply Management Team
• Having a detailed understanding of the relevant supplier category strategy to support implementation and development plans as agreed by the DWP Category Management team and stakeholders

Health & Safety

• Supporting requests for information related to personal injury claims against the Supplier Partner to enable timely responses
• Working with the DWP Estates H&S team to monitor supplier compliance with health and safety obligations and reporting necessary corrective actions